Thousands slam Egypt’s court decision against Hamas’s military wing

Thousands of Hamas supporters took to the streets of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah near the border with Egypt to protest an Egyptian court’s decision to black list Hamas’s military wing.Last Saturday an Egyptian court branded Hamas’s military wing the Qassam Brigades as a terror group.

Angry protesters chanted slogans against the Egyptian judges and president Abdulfattah al-Sisi.The Egyptian court has accused the Qassam Brigades of carrying out terror attacks against Egyptian security personnel in October of 2014.Palestinian factions including Hamas have denied any involvement in Egyptian affairs.Hamas supporters described the Egyptian court’s ruling as an award to Israel.

Protesters said the Egyptian decision is shameful as it targets the Qassam Brigades who fought fierce battles against the Israeli army in the recent war on Gaza.

Relations between Hamas and Egypt started to deteriorate following the July 2013 ouster of Egypt’s first democratically elected president Mohammad Morsi.Protesters say the Egyptian court’s decision against Hamas’s military wing is an attempt to undermine the Palestinian resistance against Israel.